The present invention relates to a structure of mounting a tire monitoring device on a support core member which enables run-flat traveling. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting structure of a tire monitoring device, in which communication failures caused by a conductive support core member are prevented.
In response to demands in the market, numerous techniques have been proposed to allow a vehicle to run in an emergency for a certain distance even when a pneumatic tire is punctured while the vehicle is running. Some of these proposed techniques (such as the one disclosed in Published Japanese Translation of a PCT Application No. 2001-519279) enable run-flat traveling by inserting a hollow-structured support core member into the cavity of a pneumatic tire assembled to a rim, and supporting a flat tire by the support core member.
It is difficult for a driver to have an immediate grasp of puncture conditions in a tire/wheel assembly with a run-flat function. Therefore, a tire monitoring device typified by a pressure warning device is generally provided together with the run-flat function. The tire-monitoring device is attached to a rim well or the like and transmits information of the inside of a tire detected by a sensor to a receiver on a vehicle through an antenna (refer to Published Japanese Translation of a PCT Application No. Hei 8-505939, for example).
However, it has been problematic that communication failures easily occur if the tire monitoring device is disposed on the rim well and the hollow-structured support core member is made of a conductive material. Because of this, information of the inside of the tire cannot be received.